1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magic game system with which a user can enjoy various types of magic games using a portable remote information terminal which uses the internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 10-235030 discloses a magic game apparatus invented by the applicant of this patent application as a conventionally known magic game apparatus. This conventional example is designed such that magic game data is recorded in a CD-ROM, and that answers to questions asked in a magic game are displayed on the screen of a personal computer while playing the magic game by loading the CD-ROM in the personal computer.
However, fixed data recorded on a CD-ROM as described above can, of course, be enjoyed as magic games but only on a specific terminal such as a personal computer, and with such fixed data it is not possible for a game provider to rewrite the game data to be distributed.
The present invention was made in view of the drawback inherent in the prior art example, and an object thereof is to provide a system in which a game provider distributes magic games from a web server so that a user can enjoy various types of magic games using a portable remote information terminal which makes use of the internet.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magic game system for distributing games from a web server via the internet, characterized in that a game provider provides magic games from a web server, while an audience communicates the magic games using a portable remote information terminal, wherein answers to questions asked in the magic games are outputted and displayed in the form of any of voice, graphics and characters or a combination of any two or more thereof. To be specific, this is represented as a phenomenon in which despite the fact that information on what is selected by the audience is not directly inputted into the Portable remote information terminal, the portable remote information terminal eventually makes a good guess at what is selected.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the enjoyable magic game system can be provided in which the game provider provides the magic games from the sever, part or all of the game data of which can be rewritten for distribution, while the audience can be given an opportunity to enjoy the magic using the portable remote information terminal whenever and wherever they like.
When used in the present invention, the portable remote information terminal includes portable or mobile telephones, personal computers and various types of portable remote information terminals which are each provided with a communication function.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magic game system for distributing games from a web server via the internet, characterized in that a game provider provides magic games on a web server, and that when a user inputs the magic games using a portable remote information terminal, the results of processing implemented in accordance with programs prepared on the server in advance are outputted and displayed as answers to questions asked in the magic games on the portable remote information terminal in the form of any of voice, graphics and characters or a combination of any two or more thereof.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the input work by the user is executed and processed in accordance with the programs on the server, and the results of the processing are outputted and displayed as the answers to the questions asked in the magic games on the portable remote information terminal.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magic game system as set forth in the second aspect of the invention, wherein what is selected by a playing partner is encoded and inputted as a code using a ten key keyboard or a keyboard of the portable remote information terminal, whereby answers to questions asked in the magic games are outputted and displayed on the portable remote information terminal in the form of any of voice, graphics and characters or a combination of any two or more thereof.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the articles selected freely by the playing partner are encoded and inputted as codes using the ten key keyboard or keyboard on the portable remote information terminal, and the articles so selected by the playing partner can be outputted and displayed in the form of any of voice, graphics and characters or a combination of any two or more thereof. In this case, the person who inputs the codes may be either the player or audience.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magic game system as set forth in the second or third aspect of the invention, wherein the audience is asked to input data indifferent from what is selected in corresponding codes which are encoded using kinds, orders and combinations of the data through the portable remote information terminal, whereby what is selected is then outputted and displayed on the portable remote information terminal in the form of any of voice, graphics and characters or a combination of any two or more thereof.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the player does not have to directly touch the portable remote information terminal, while the playing partner is asked to input the codes instead, and therefore the audience can feel stronger wonder at the magic.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magic game system as set forth in any of the second to the fourth aspects of the invention, wherein in a case where the playing partner is asked to freely choose an answer to a predetermined question from two or more choices and to input the result of the choice using the ten key keyboard or keyboard on the portable remote information terminal, different keys corresponding to the choice to be inputted are set as keys representing the same article on the program, so that despite the choice by the playing partner any input through the different keys results in a specific code, whereby the article selected by the playing partner is outputted and displayed on the portable remote information terminal in the form of any of voice, graphics and characters or a combination of any two or more thereof.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, despite the fact that the answer chosen by the playing partner using the ten key keyboard has no relation to what is selected by the playing partner, the designation of what is so selected is outputted and displayed on the portable remote information terminal.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magic game system as set forth in the second or third aspect of the invention, wherein a plurality of items graphically displayed on the portable remote information terminal are selected by pressing buttons on the portable remote information terminal in accordance with a predetermined story, whereby answers to questions asked in the magic games are outputted and displayed on the portable remote information terminal in the form of any of voice, graphics and characters or a combination of any two or more thereof.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the order in which the buttons are pressed is controlled by the predetermined story, whereby required codes can be inputted by the playing partner without the fact being known to the playing partner.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magic game system as set forth in any of the first to sixth aspects of the invention, wherein the portable remote information terminal is a portable or mobile telephone.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the magic games can be enjoyed using the portable or mobile telephone, the player can show the magic games to the audience whenever and wherever he or she likes.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magic game system as set forth in any of the first to seventh aspects of the invention, wherein the user can receive answers to questions asked him or her in the magic games on his or her own portable remote information terminal in the form of electronic mails, or the answers can be transmitted in the form of electronic mails to portable remote information terminals of those other than the user.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the answers to the questions asked in the magic games can be transmitted in the form of electronic mails to the portable remote information terminal of the user or portable remote information terminals of those other than the user, more fun can be created than what is obtained when the answers are viewed only on the screen of the portable remote information terminal of the user.